Kootenay Powder Package

• Day 1 Enjoy your skiing at Whitewater or Red Mountain Ski Hill, purchase your ticket at the hill or get from your accommodation provider
• Pick up your touring & backcountry gear that evening in preparation for your guided day.
• Day 2 meet your guide at 7:30 am, at predetermined location, sign waivers & check gear
• Drive up or carpool to Whitewater or Red Mountain Ski Hill, do a thorough avalanche training with group, enjoy the one way lift up to the ridge top, tour from here
• Return from the last run one hour before sunset.

Programs are beginner to advanced however, guests need to have intermediate to advanced ski or boarding skills already (able to ski blues or blacks at hill).

Guests are responsible to self evaluate their ski skills and share prior backcountry touring experience so we can match appropriately. Contact us to discuss your background.

Backcountry Touring & Avalanche Skills Equipment List

All the ski touring venues in this section are located from Whitewater Ski Resort or Red Mountain Ski Resort. You will be meeting with your guide the morning of,  for a final gear check. We will go over last minute changes (weather & avalanche conditions) and logistics for the following day(s). We will also sign a liability waiver.

Kootenay weather can vary drastically.  In winter you expect temperatures to be from -15C to –5C in the day while in spring daily temperatures could rise well above zero.  Visibility may be poor or whiteout conditions when snowing heavily or clear on bluebird days.  Ensure you are dressed for all variations as temperatures, wind and precipitation can change within the day.

• Pre-trip planning support
• Certified ACMG Mountain Guide, Ski Guide or Apprentice Ski Guide
• Group safety equipment (communication device, rescue kit, first aid supplies, GPS, maps)

Not included in price:

• Lunch, snacks
• GST 5% tax
• Personal ski touring boots, skis, skins or snow board set up
• personal avalanche safety equipment *SMG rentals available $40/day for complete set or beacon ($25), shovel ($10) & probe ($10)
• Transportation to touring location
• Lift fee if applicable, one way Whitewater fee is $39, Red Mtn $39
• Additional charges due to changes in itinerary or ski location, guest must cover also additional guide costs (extra travel/accommodation/food expense)
• Trip cancellation and or trip interruption insurance. Medical, emergency rescue and evacuation insurance are also your responsibility

Where can I rent Ski touring and safety equipment?

Here are a few outdoor stores in Nelson that supply good service and quality outdoor equipment and gear rental, please ensure you rent gear well in advance.

ROAM phone 250-354-2056
Valhalla Pure Outfitters phone 250-354-1006
Gericks phone 250-354-4622
Sacred Ride phone 250-354-3831

What transceiver should I use?

If you are interested in touring in the backcountry with friends or take one of our courses, it is very important to get a modern “triple antenna digital transceiver” with a marking function. We ask participants to ensure that they have a digital transceiver for the course.

For recreational skiers and boarders, we suggest the following beacons: Mammut-Baryvox “Element”, Ortovox “Zoom”, Peeps “Recon” or the Tracker “3” or “S”. For people moving towards working in the ski industry a more professional “more advanced” beacons is recommended, such as Mammut-Baryvox “Pulse or S”, Ortovox “3+“ or Peeps “guide”, etc.

Skis, Telemark or Split Boards?

Which should you use? If you are a downhill skier then you should use Alpine Touring gear. Only if you are already an advanced Telemark skier or Snowboarder should you bring Telemark or Split Board gear. All types of gear can be rented in Nelson prior to your day trip. There are three types of backcountry systems you can use:

Alpine Touring skis are essentially downhill skis with a special touring binding which allows the heel to lift whilst going uphill or across the flats and then ‘locks down’ to become a regular downhill safety binding. We recommend this system to anyone with a background of downhill skiing who is not already an advanced telemark skier.

Telemark skis. These should only be used for this program if you are at least an advanced-intermediate telemark skier with some backcountry experience. This system is more difficult and less forgiving than the others.

Snowboarding with a Split Board is the most effective way to snowboard in the back country. We recommend this system to advanced snowboarder over snowshoeing.